A Series of Proposals
by Reborn the Monster
Summary: The boys are tying the knot! Naturally we're all curious how Yusuke and friends managed to pop the question to their lady loves.  A short peek into the lives and loves of our favorite Spirit Detective Team.  Y/K, etc.
1. Tea for Two

**Welcome! Reborn the Monster here with a lovely little interlude involving my favorite (if not yours) Spirit Detective. As the first thing I've published, this piece is rather special to me, so be nice, and helpful if the inclination takes you! This is written for fun, not profit, and all credit should go to Togashi Yoshihiro-san. Thank you for providing us with such wonderful characters! Now my friends, read on and enjoy!**

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><p>Yusuke was surprised when Keiko showed up at his door. Ever since he returned from Makai nearly a year ago, he and Keiko had been dating on and off, usually ending in a squabble. He had just finished a dinner of instant ramen and was settling in on his couch to flip channels on his miniscule television when there was a knock at his door. Yusuke stood and stretched, glancing down at his state of dress. Boxers and a white tee…not a good choice for answering the door.<p>

"Just a minute," he called irritably as he dug through the piles of clothes littering the apartment, attempting to find a suitable pair of pants. The knocking continued more insistently. "Hold your horses! I'm coming!" he snapped, fumbling with his pants and tripping over the pant leg. Finally he made it to the door and snapped it open, preparing to yell at whoever had interrupted his domestic bliss. He stopped, mouth open when he saw Keiko standing on his doorstep with tears in her eyes.

Almost instantly his expression changed as she flung herself into his arms. He half carried her sobbing into the room, kicking aside debris as he made his way to the kitchen. Setting her gently on a stool and accumulating a wealth of tissues from a box on the counter, he bustled about making tea. Keiko's crying had subsided somewhat by the time he set a steaming mug in front of her and took a seat across from her, nursing his own cup.

"What happened?" he asked with some urgency. Keiko's eyes began to fill up with tears again. Yusuke rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not accustomed to comforting someone, especially a girl.

"Well, you remember that guy I was seeing?" Keiko began, attempting to speak past the lump in her throat. Yusuke nodded pensively. Keiko had been seriously dating this man for nearly three months. "Well, he took me to this nice restaurant this evening, and had asked me to dress up and I…I thought," she broke down again, tears falling into the cup of tea.

"You thought he was going to ask you to marry him?" Yusuke interjected, setting aside his surprise that Keiko was thinking of marrying anyone after only three months. Keiko, tears falling once again, nodded. She lifted the mug to take a sip, but her hands were shaking so badly that it crashed to the floor, spreading tea and shards of ceramic everywhere. Before Keiko even had time to think, Yusuke was there with a rag and a broom and dustpan. She made the effort to help, but Yusuke waved her off, silently cleaning the mess himself. Keiko just sat and watched, suddenly feeling intensely guilty.

"_Why is it I came to Yusuke anyway? We haven't dated in a while and I was so caught up in __**him**__ that I kind of ignored Yusuke and the rest of my friends. And now Yusuke's also probably mad at me too…_" Keiko thought, a seemingly endless supply of tears cascading with renewed fervor down her cheeks.

Yusuke finished cleaning in silence, and slid his mug, along with another clutch of tissues in Keiko's direction. Slowly, taking small sips of the bracing tea, and dabbing at her eyes with the tissues, Keiko began to calm down, glancing timidly at Yusuke, who remained silent, his eyes slightly out of focus. Still hiccoughing, she sat, unsure of what to do.

"Hey Keiko," Yusuke said, eyes suddenly coming into focus. Keiko jumped and responded with a loud "Yes!" The corner of Yusuke's mouth lifted in a slight smile before he became serious again. "You remember, when we were just kids and you'd get upset?" he asked looking straight in her eyes. Keiko stared at him, puzzled, and then she remembered.

"Yes, I do," she responded, a reminiscent smile softening her features. "I used to come to you and I'd be crying and you would give me a hug," she continued.

"Do you remember what I said?" he asked when she didn't elaborate. Keiko looked up at him then.

"Do you?" she asked, a blush coloring her cheeks. Yusuke's only response was to stand abruptly and come determinedly over to her. When she rose, worry coloring her expression, Yusuke pulled her closer to him and caressed her cheek gently.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered. Keiko stared at him, eyes wide and blush blooming over her face.

"Yeah, that's what you said," she stuttered attempting to back away from him, giving a nervous chuckle. Yusuke's hold merely tightened and he frowned, lip forming his typical "manly pout".

"No. I'm serious Keiko," he answered, irritation coloring his tone. Keiko gasped, and leaned into his embrace. "Will you marry me?" he asked once again, this time with a hint of petulance.

"I…I," Keiko said, breath coming short. Yusuke raised one eyebrow and a grin slowly spread over his face, widening as she continued to repeat the same syllable. Then her tears burst anew and she threw her arms around him, "Of course I will, you idiot!" Yusuke laughed and allowed his grin to shine full force.

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><p>"It was just so sudden," Keiko told him later, while they were informing all their friends. "I didn't know whether he was joking or not. I was halfway tempted to smack him," she admitted. Yusuke, who had been across the room, overheard and stomped over to where she sat.<p>

"What?" he demanded, at Keiko's reproachful look, "You were probably closer to drowning us both in tears than you were to smacking me," he argued. Keiko's eyes narrowed.

"Just because I'm sad doesn't mean I'm weak Yusuke. I can still smack you around," she snapped.

"Uh-huh, whatever," Yusuke countered, a superior smirk on his face. "You couldn't even hold your mug of tea!"

"That doesn't mean anything! Why'd you ask me to marry you anyway? Because you thought I was vulnerable?"

"Wha-NO! I seriously love you Keiko, you know that," Yusuke admitted, ire turning rapidly into embarrassment.

"Ha! That's what I thought," Keiko returned, and everyone laughed at Yusuke's expense as preparations began.

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><p><strong>A little short and a little sweet. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time with Hiei. Just a little side note: in the Anime, Yusuke mentions that he did ask Keiko to marry him when he was a child. I take no credit for coming up with that particular plot point, that belongs to Togashi-san as well.<strong>


	2. Ridiculous Rituals

**Hello again! Welcome to another snippet! Thank you to all who took a look and to Kikuri-san for being my first review! Now, I honestly don't think Hiei's the marrying type, but in the interest of exploring exactly what Hiei would do, I decided to write this. I must add that these OCs here merely exist to give Hiei (and eventually Kurama) someone to propose to. They don't really have much of a back story, but they're here. Again, all credit for these characters (with the exception of Cassidy and Katrina) go to Togashi Yoshihiro-san. Thanks, and happy reading! ^_^ **

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><p>It was three o' clock in the morning and Kurama was sleeping pleasantly after a night on the town with his girlfriend, Cassidy. They were both eagerly anticipating Yusuke and Keiko's impending nuptials. Their wedding was on Saturday, and as a groomsman he was getting some sleep before the rehearsal the next day.<p>

He was startled awake by the sound of his window opening from the outside. His hand moved discreetly to his head and felt for the seed that held his rose whip, preparing to startle the person sneaking into his home. He looked over at the window and sat up. Framed by the dark night was the even darker figure of Hiei.

"Oh. Hiei, it's you," Kurama responded, preparing to lay back down. Hiei would come stay in his room periodically, usually when it began to rain and he could no longer sleep in his favorite tree in the park.

"I need your help fox," Hiei snapped, just as Kurama closed his eyes. Kurama, being exhausted, raised his eyes to the ceiling as he sat up again.

"Seeing as it probably took a while to actually ask me for help, I'll bite. What do you need Hiei?"

"You know that ridiculous ritual that the detective is subjecting himself to?" Hiei began, growling at the thought.

"His…wedding?" Kurama prompted one eyebrow lifting. Hiei did not respond. "What's the matter? Don't you want to go?"

"That's not what I was saying," Hiei snapped, red eyes hardening. Kurama lifted a hand and cocked his head questioningly. Hiei looked away, eyes centering on a dark corner of Kurama's room. There was a moment of silence.

"Well Hiei, when you decide you want to tell me, just let me know. If you don't mind, I have to be up early tomorrow for the wedding rehearsal," Kurama made to lay back down, yawning ostensibly and making a show of getting comfortable.

"Stop it Kurama. I don't need your brand of idiocy right now," Hiei growled, eyes narrowing. Kurama paused, turning to stare intensely at him in deep thought.

"Is this about Katrina?" he asked, referencing his girlfriend's twin and the only person who managed to worm her way deep inside Hiei's heart. Hiei didn't say anything and Kurama assumed he was correct. "Am I assuming correctly when I say that you think you and Katrina are ready for that step?" he continued. Hiei did not say anything again, but his eyes softened.

"What do I do? I have no idea how to work these stupid human traditions," Hiei told him. Kurama gave a chuckle.

"Would you like me to help?" he asked gently, trying his hardest not to laugh at the incredibly unlikely situation he found himself in. Hiei nodded almost imperceptibly. "Well, first you are going to need a ring."

"What for? I have no use for one."

"No, you need a ring to give to Kat. It's a symbol of…"

"How am I supposed to get one of those?" Hiei demanded. Kurama paused to gather in his irritation.

"At," he glanced at his clock, "three-thirty in the morning you're not going to get anything," Kurama told him reproachfully. "Just let me explain and then tomorrow I'll help you get what you need."

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><p>Kat was dreaming about the wedding reception. It was the day after Yusuke and Keiko's wedding and they were safely off on their honeymoon. It was close to eleven in the afternoon, but Kat, who had been up rather late and consumed quite a bit of alcohol, was still in bed asleep. She did not hear her window open, nor did she notice when a black shadow slipped a ring on her finger and took station in another corner.<p>

It wasn't until around one-thirty that Kat decided it was time to get out of bed. Slipping from between the covers she walked straight past Hiei, not noticing him, or the ring on her left hand. Grabbing a towel and a change of clothes, she strode into her bathroom and shut the door. Soon after, Hiei could hear the sounds of Kat singing in the shower. Hiei watched astonished as she proceeded to ignore all the effort he had put in. His eyes narrowed and he stalked out the door and into the glorious afternoon, preparing to give Kurama a piece of his mind.

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><p>Kurama was visiting with his mother, stepfather and stepbrother enjoying a glass of lemonade and the glorious sunshine. He was laughing unconcernedly at something his brother and father were saying when a dark shadow blocked out the warmth. The cheery party went silent as Kurama was stared down by a seething Hiei. Kurama stood, eyes filling with concern.<p>

"What happened?" he asked, pity already making an appearance. "Did she refuse?"

"She didn't even notice," Hiei said darkly, pinning Kurama once again with his stare. Kurama's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"I thought for sure she…" he trailed off, staring into the distance. At the table, Kurama's family watched with fascination. It was when Kurama smelled burning grass that he decided that he should move the conversation elsewhere. He began to walk casually toward the back of the house and tilted his head for Hiei to follow.

"What do I do now?" Hiei snapped, eyeing Kurama once again.

"You could just go ask her," he suggested. One of Kurama's prize roses burst into flame. "Or not," he finished as he rushed to put it out.

Just then, like a lifesaver, Kurama's Cassidy came around the corner.

"Oh! There you are, what's up?" she asked, taking in Kurama and his crispy rose and Hiei's dejected glare at the grass. Kurama stood and glanced back at Hiei, worry for the roses creeping up on him.

"Now's not exactly a good time. See, Hiei asked Katrina to marry him and well…she didn't notice," Kurama explained. Cass slapped her forehead.

"That dunce, she got drunk at the party and she's a complete space case when she wakes up," Cassidy told him despairingly. All of a sudden Kurama's eyes lit up.

"Perhaps you could talk to her?" he started, giving her a wide-eyed pleading look. Cassidy frowned playfully and punched his arm lightly.

"Of course. I'll call her right now," she said, digging out her cell phone and pressing her sister's speed dial number. It rang a few times before her sister picked up.

"Hello! It's Katrina," she chirped.

"Hey Kat it's me."

"Hey! What's up? Wasn't that a rockin' party last night?" Kat babbled excitedly.

"Yes, but I actually have a question for you. What happened this morning?"

"I dunno."

"You…don't…know?" Cass reiterated, disbelievingly.

"Well it wasn't until one-thirty that I actually got up," Kat explained.

"That's beside the point. Did you notice anything different when you woke up?"

"Umm….no…should I have?"

"Nothing at all?" Cass sighed.

"No…wait. Hiei was in the corner, but I was itching for a shower. When I got out he vanished and I managed to snag my hair on my fingers and pulled it and I had a really bad headache…" Kat trailed off.

"Your hand! Look at it and tell me what you see," Cassidy quickly inserted.

"Well, I have a freckle on my knuckle and…"

"No dummy, your left hand."

"Shut up! Alright umm…" there was a pause. Cass fidgeted nervously with her hair and Kurama leaned in slightly, she could tell he was listening to every word. After a moment, Kat's awed and slightly tearful voice came over the phone.

"Cass? There's a ring on my finger."

"Yes. What do you think that means?"

"I…Where's Hiei?" she asked suddenly.

"Over at Kurama's parents'."

"Tell him not to move, I'll be right there," and the phone went dead. Cassidy turned to Kurama and they both looked over to Hiei, who seemed to be contemplating the slow demise of the entire garden.

Katrina ran as fast as she could down the streets of the residential district, on her way to Hiei. Being a rabbit-demon had its perks. She was at the house within a matter of a few minutes. Panting she stumbled into the garden where she saw Kurama and Cassidy backing slowly away from the one person Kat loved most in the world.

"I'm here! I'm here!" she panted, coming to a stop and catching her breath. Hiei merely stared at her, betraying no emotion. "I'm so sorry. I'm such a flake," she apologized glancing down at her hand and the ring upon her finger.

"Hn," came the only reply. Kat reached out her hand and grasped his. Hiei merely pulled his hand away. Kat sighed and scratched her head, looking around.

"Well, my answer is yes," she said, plopping down on the grass. There was a moment of silence.

"What?" Hiei snapped, eyes widening.

"Huh? Sorry. Weren't you listening? I said yes," she snapped, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Oh. Alright," was the only reply. Hiei came and sat down beside her and they sat in companionable silence while Cassidy and Kurama slid noiselessly out of the garden.

Once Hiei was sure they were alone, he turned to Kat and smiled.

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><p><strong>Alright. There you have it. How I think Hiei's proposal would've went down if he ever had the inclination to do so. Thanks for reading! P.S: Kuwabara next!<strong>


	3. Tradition

**Hello! I bring Kuwabara's proposal as a thanks to the couple of you who were gracious to take a look. I decided that Kuwabara's a traditionalist along with being a sweetie, so I've written his proposal accordingly. I hope you enjoy it. As usual, this story was written for fun and not profit. All credit goes to Togashi Yoshihiro-san. Thank you!**

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><p>Kuwabara was going to do this. Heck, if Urameshi could get married, he surely could. He had been in love with Yukina since he saw her on the video tape…oh it seemed so very long ago. Surprisingly, it took Hiei's proposal to finally jog Kuwabara into thinking about marriage. He had just purchased a ring, and was preparing to give Yukina a memorable proposal when he was approached by both Kurama and Yusuke as he left the jewelry store.<p>

"Hey guys! What brings you here? Find a way to piss off Keiko already?" Kuwabara asked, giving Yusuke a large grin. Yusuke retaliated by punching him in the face.

"Actually Kuwabara, Yusuke and I noticed that you have been planning to get engaged and we need to talk to you before you propose," Kurama interjected, pulling Yusuke off of Kuwabara and helping him to his feet. "Let's go get a drink somewhere and sit down and talk." Kuwabara shrugged and followed Kurama as he started down the street.

Once they were all seated at a small table in the corner of the bar with soft lounge music playing in the background, Kuwabara, Yusuke and Kurama exchanged pleasantries until their drinks arrived. Thanking the waitress, Kuwabara glanced between his two friends to find them both looking at him solemnly.

"Alright guys, what's the problem. Did Koenma call with some urgent case or something?" he asked, beginning to get concerned. Yusuke shook his head.

"Nah, Kuwabara I just need to apologize to you," he answered, leveling his large brown eyes at his best friend. "A long time ago, I found out something, but because of all the things that have happened in between, and the nature of what we're about to tell you, it kind of got passed over when it came to you," Yusuke explained, taking a swig of his beer.

As Yusuke swallowed, Kurama continued: "We truly didn't mean to keep this from you, but it was necessary. Hiei was extremely reluctant to reveal this information to anyone, especially you."

"Alright guys, what's the problem? I'm not about to accept apologies if I don't know what you're apologizing for." Kuwabara interrupted, folding his arms and glaring at them suspiciously. "What do I care about Hiei?"

Kurama smiled tightly, "That's just the thing. You have to care about Hiei, because if you and Yukina end up married, Hiei will be your brother-in-law." Both watched him intensely as he processed this information.

"Wait, you mean they're related?" Kuwabara said after a few minutes, standing abruptly and knocking his chair over. Yusuke and Kurama both stood after him.

"Relax Kuwabara, they are only half-siblings," Yusuke consoled, attempting to grab Kuwabara before he made more of a scene.

"You don't understand," Kuwabara replied, dropping his head into his hands, "I suspected something from the way everybody would make weird jokes at Hiei like that time during the Dark Tournament, and from the fact that they kind of look alike. That's not the problem."

Kurama and Yusuke exchanged baffled looks. Kurama shut his eyes and smiled, chuckling softly.

"Well then what's the problem you idiot?" Yusuke asked, slapping him on the back. Kuwabara merely moaned.

"It means I have to ask his permission before I can marry her!" Kuwabara lamented grinding the heels of his hands into his eyes. Yusuke burst into laughter and fell backwards over a chair.

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><p>Later that evening, the group convened at Genkai's temple, having a little get-together in honor of Hiei and Katrina's finished preparations for their wedding. During the course of the evening, Kuwabara nervously approached Hiei, intending to ask his permission as soon as possible.<p>

"What do you want, fool?" Hiei asked, leveling his customary glare on him. Kuwabara fidgeted nervously and avoided Hiei's gaze. Instantly Hiei was on alert. He knew something was wrong; normally the idiot would blather on about how strong he was or some such. Hiei's glare softened momentarily when Yukina came into view.

"Hello Kazuma. Why do you look so nervous?" she asked, looking between Hiei and Kuwabara with wide eyes and a gentle smile.

"Oh hello Yukina, I just wanted to talk to Hiei for a minute, could you excuse us for a second?" Kuwabara asked, smiling brilliantly at her. She giggled and covered her mouth with a sleeve of her kimono.

"Of course silly, you guys just go into the next room and I'll make sure nobody disturbs you," she answered waving them out the door. Both of them could do nothing but turn and walk out, shutting the door behind them.

"Alright Kuwabara, what is so important that you felt you needed to torment me with your company?" Hiei asked, folding his arms and tapping an impatient foot on the floor. Again Kuwabara's countenance became nervous.

"Well," Kuwabara began; Hiei rolled his eyes. "I know that you're Yukina's brother and I just wanted to ask your permission to marry her," he blurted, finishing with a defensive glare at Hiei. His companion's eyes had widened with the revelation that Kuwabara knew of his relation, and he had barely processed the last part of the sentence. Kuwabara merely stood, as if prepared for a blow.

"Hn. What are you talking about?" Hiei snapped, covering his earlier astonishment.

"Hey, I already asked once, surely you could try to listen to me when I'm talking!" Kuwabara yelled, crossing his arms. With that, he turned on his heel and began to stomp back to the party, mumbling under his breath.

"Kuwabara, wait." Hiei commanded from behind him. Kuwabara turned to see a smirk on Hiei's face.

"If anything happens to her, rest assured that you will be dead before you know you've done something wrong," Hiei told him, the smirk turning into an icy glare as his sword made an appearance. "I promise the dragon will be more than pleased to tear you apart." With that, Hiei strode past Kuwabara and flitted out of sight, back to Katrina's side. Kuwabara stood for a moment, trying to find the meaning of the series of veiled threats in their conversation.

Hiei located Yukina in the crowd and stepped toward her. She looked at him questioningly. He tilted his head and slid his eyes toward the room where he had left Kuwabara. Yukina followed his gaze and when she turned back to Hiei he was gone, sitting in the corner nearest Katrina. Yukina shook her head and heaved a sigh, turning to find where Kuwabara went.

She slid the door open and entered quietly. Kuwabara was leaning against a window sill, staring out into the night. Yukina sidled gently up to him and put a hand on his arm. Kuwabara still looked ponderous and didn't notice her.

"Kazuma, you are awfully quiet. Did your conversation with Hiei go alright?" she asked. Kuwabara jumped. He looked down at Yukina and smiled; Yukina noticed that he was holding a strange box. When Kuwabara saw where her gaze was pointed, he clenched his fist around the box and hid it from her view.

"Yeah, I was just thinking don't worry," he grinned slyly, "My love will keep you safe." Yukina laughed.

"Oh Kazuma, you always say such funny things," she told him. After another comfortable silence, Kuwabara took both her hands in his and got down on one knee.

"Yukina? I have something to ask you," Kuwabara began, shuffling the box around in his palm so that he could better grasp her hands.

"You can ask me anything, you know that," Yukina replied.

"Well, uh…will you," he paused. Yukina tilted her head and smiled up at him. "Will you marry…me?" he asked after swallowing hard. Yukina blinked at him for a moment.

"Marry you?" she asked, still blinking. Kuwabara gulped and nodded fervently. Yukina looked deep in thought for a moment before she smiled.

"Of course Kazuma, I would be happy to," she answered.

Back at the party, Cass and Kat were pulling out the karaoke machine and were preparing to sing a song when there was a loud shout from the other room. Like a stampede, both girls, Yusuke, Kurama, Botan and the rest of the gang ran to the door. Yusuke kicked the door down and leapt inside. Instead of danger, everyone (excepting Hiei, who stayed where he was) saw Kuwabara with a glowing red face; and Yukina with a pretty little ring on her finger.

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><p><strong>Well, that was it. Kuwabara is so wonderful, it's a pity many people don't give him some happiness. I hope this gives him a little anyway. Up next is Kurama, who will take a little while (as I have yet to write it. The other three have been written for quite some time). Anyways, thanks again for giving up some of your time to read my dabbles! <strong>


	4. Place Your Bets

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Reborn the Monster here with the last installment of my Series of Proposals. This one went in a completely different direction than I thought it would, and yet, I felt it was something Kurama would deal with. This one is not as light as the others, but I'm happy with it. Mostly because it took me a long time writing it. To be honest, I had every chapter written (except Kurama's) for several weeks. Oh well. Anyways, as always all wonderful and beloved characters don't belong to me, additionally, the song mentioned in this chapter belongs to Disney, and this was written for fun, not profit. Thanks!**

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><p>It was the night of Kuwabara and Yukina's wedding reception. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everyone, that is, except Kurama. (And Hiei, who despite having adapted to married life quite well, hated social functions of any kind.) The reason for Kurama's melancholy was currently dancing with Yusuke. Keiko had insisted he learn for their own wedding, and while not the most graceful dancer, Kurama smiled to see that he wasn't stepping on Cassidy's feet.<p>

Cassidy. The source of his rather serious mood. With the exception of Yusuke and Keiko, Kurama and Cassidy had been together the longest. It had been nearly five years since they met, four since they started dating. They were very close, but lately, Cassidy had been acting rather distant. Kurama knew why. He knew Cassidy had been expecting a proposal for a couple years now. Especially after she watched her sister get married (and no one saw that coming). He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but something was holding him back. Kurama had yet to figure out what it was.

The song ended. Yusuke gave Cassidy a mock bow before heading in the direction of his wife. Cassidy came and sat down next to Kurama and picked up his glass of water.

"Nice party huh?" she asked brightly. She gulped down half his glass breathlessly and then heaved a sigh before her sister came over and stole her from him. Kurama watched as Katrina pulled her sister to the dance floor and began a rather strange dance that involved strutting around like a chicken before he could say anything in reply.

Watching her, Kurama realized why he couldn't marry her. She was exuberant, cheerful and full of life. She laughed with abandon and spent time with everyone. Everyone, that is, but him. With him she was quiet and tender, calm and intellectual. He loved those things about her as well, but she was meant to be cheerful. A smile on her face was worth more to him than any quiet, intelligent thoughts. Kurama was rarely playful anymore. He preferred watching to participating. He could not keep Cassidy behind merely watching, she needed to be free to find someone to have fun with. She needed-

His thoughts were interrupted by Yusuke sitting down and slapping him on the back.

"Kurama, I know what you're thinking," he started, eyes on Cassidy. "For someone as smart as you, you're being dumb." He gave Kurama a pointed look. His eyes gained a mischievous sparkle and Kurama was instantly suspicious. "And you should probably tell her you wanna hook up before next week. Just saying," he finished and moved away. Sometimes, Yusuke was a little too perceptive for his own good. Kurama shook his head and fingered the stem of his wine glass, picking it up and tipping back the remnants. He knew this was just the beginning.

Before he could think too much on Yusuke's words, Hiei approached from behind.

"Afraid fox? Just get it over with," he said before disappearing. Okay, what was that about?

His suspicion was aroused even further when later on in the evening Kuwabara left his bride's side to come to Kurama and say, "She's the best thing that happened to you. Without her, you're kind of a downer. No offense." He began to walk away before turning, "Oh, and Friday would be great."

Then, to continue the uncomfortable feelings and the idea that was forming in his head, Katrina stood up and sang a song. Not just any song. A song called "That's How You Know" from the latest Disney flick, staring directly at Kurama. The song started out normally, but by the end, she was practically screaming the words at him. Fortunately, no one seemed to think this was out of the ordinary. _Or maybe they're all in on it,_ his rebellious mind supplied.

However, the icing on the proverbial cake was when Genkai took a moment. "Just propose to the damn girl. I'm tired of listening to Botan speculate. Oh, and if you could do it before Tuesday, I'd really appreciate it."

The rest of the evening Kurama was approached by the rest of his friends. Cassidy seemed completely unaware **(or is she?)** and for this, Kurama was grateful. It saved him from a bit of embarrassment.

_Does everyone know of my thoughts?_ he wondered after yet another person came with words of encouragement; this person was a complete stranger! However, he suffered in silence until Cassidy was ready to leave.

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><p>"That was nice," Cassidy commented in the car on the way home. Kurama, who was absorbed in his thoughts on the ridiculousness of the evening, didn't answer. Cassidy chewed on her tongue to get rid of the irritable comment that sprang to mind. Instead, she turned away from him and stared out the window, trying to ignore the pang of hurt at his inattentiveness. They continued the drive in silence.<p>

It took Kurama a while to notice Cassidy's frigid silence. Usually she would chatter away about the evening. As Kurama glanced between her and the road he couldn't help feeling that despite her proximity to him, she couldn't be farther away. He ventured a comment.

"Kuwabara seems very happy. Even Hiei was relatively subdued this evening." Cassidy lifted her shoulder in a shrug. Kurama tried again.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself." Again he was met with an unfeeling shrug. On impulse, Kurama pulled over and stopped the car. He turned to face her.

"Cassidy, what is the problem?" He wasn't prepared for the ferocity of her answer.

"The problem is you, Shuichi," she began, using his human name; something she rarely did when they were alone. "Ever since you decided to move on from the part of you that is Yoko Kurama, I've watched you grow less happy, retreating into your thoughts. You've lost the playful spark your eyes used to hold whenever we were together. You used to laugh at jokes at least a little. Do you know that you sat in the corner all through Kuwabara and Yukina's reception? You may have pretended to smile and enjoy yourself, but I know you too well. You didn't enjoy it at all."

She had been yelling. Kurama was shocked. He remained silent as Cassidy caught her breath. She continued calmly: "I'm not saying that you should return to the way things were. I'm saying that now that you've made that decision to be free of Yoko, be happy with it. You've had too much tragedy in your life, Shuichi. Don't over think this."

Kurama could only sit and watch as Cassidy phoned for a taxi and left him to himself, her words echoing in his ears. When Kurama gathered himself enough to drive the rest of the way to their shared apartment, he opened the door to find she had gone elsewhere for the night.

He sat down heavily on their couch and put his head in his hands and let his thoughts consume him. He should be satisfied with this outcome. Cassidy would leave him, move on, be happy. The traitorous part of his mind tacked on _and you will stay and be miserable for the rest of your lonely life while everyone moves on in happy abandon._

**_"Without her you're kind of a downer. No offense."_ **

He smiled wistfully at the memory. Now he could sit and ponder his life choices without having to inconvenience anyone else for a change. That was for the best. He would sink into oblivion with the burden that was his past, and his friends could move forward with their lives.

**_"For someone so smart, you're being dumb."_** Yusuke's echoed voice argued back, as the strains of Kat's song welled up in his ears: "How does she know that you love her?" _She doesn't because I haven't told her._

**_"Just propose to the damn girl."_** Genkai's voice added, but continued on, **_"You think she cares about Yoko? If you do, you're even stupider than Yusuke."_**

Kurama stood abruptly, having made up his mind. He snatched his keys from the counter and slammed the door behind him. He returned to the car and went to the first place he thought Cassidy would go: her sister's house.

Sure enough, when he arrived, he could see her through their ground floor window. She was pacing up and down the room and shouting at the top of her lungs; Kat was watching silently.

Without pausing to think Kurama marched to the door, picked the lock (after trying the handle) and strode into the house and directly to the room Cassidy was in.

Cassidy froze mid-sentence when he appeared. Kat looked from one to the other and smirked.

"That was more like something Yusuke would do. Way to be melodramatic Kurama." He ignored her and she continued to smirk as she left them alone. Cassidy opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.

"You are right. I was not enjoying myself at the reception. I was busy thinking about breaking up with you," Cassidy swallowed hard. "Not, I don't think, because it would make me happy, but to make you happy. You are correct in telling me I'm over thinking. I have been so concerned with differentiating myself from Yoko and my friends' happiness that I've lost sight of what makes me human. I need to learn to think of myself sometimes. I want to learn how to have fun again and you're the best person to teach me. And I don't want you to go. I can't be happy without you. Stay with me. Marry me," he stopped, and there was a moment of silence. Kurama watched Cassidy closely.

She swallowed again. "Okay," she sighed, "you need to stop being so melodramatic. It's kinda creeping me out. You're like a weird combination of Yusuke and Kuwabara. If this marriage is going to work, you need to be Kurama." Kurama smiled and released the breath he didn't notice he was holding.

"I'll do my best." He strode over to her and they sat on Hiei and Katrina's couch and began to discuss their marriage. Cassidy still made him apologize, which Kurama did rather shamefacedly. As they settled in for a long talk, Kurama brought up something that had been plaguing him for a while. "Did you know everyone has placed bets on our engagement?" he asked, a touch of the sparkle returning to his gaze. Cassidy's laugh filled the room and Kurama felt warmth return to his heart.

* * *

><p>Out in the hallway, Katrina had her ear plastered to the door, listening to every word.<p>

"Leave them alone," Hiei said from behind her, making her jump a mile and make a loud banging noise, which quieted the voices in her living room. She opened her mouth to whisper a complaint, but stopped when Hiei glared at her. Shrugging, she left, following Hiei to their own bedroom.

"Why couldn't they have this discussion in their own home?" she whined petulantly. Hiei didn't answer. Very loudly. She sighed. "Well, we'll need to change the locks. Kurama picked them to get in." There was a pause. Kat listened to the voices and the laughter coming from down the stairs and smiled.

"Oh? And you owe me 2000 yen."

* * *

><p><strong>The End.<strong>

** Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I hope to see you again on other things I have in the works! **

**-Reborn the Monster 07/11/2011 1:42 AM**


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